Prague’s Medieval Heart: A Walking Tour

(39 reviews)

Prague audio tour: Prague’s Medieval Heart: A Walking Tour

This is a 1.2mi walking tour

It takes an average of 75 mins to complete.

Prague

Czech Republic

$11.99

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About the Tour

Prague’s medieval Old Town is a captivating mix of striking architecture and unexpected details that are tucked away from the tourist path. On this walking tour through its labyrinthine streets, you’ll see where merchants once traveled the ancient trade route between Bavaria and Poland.

Starting in front of the magnificent Old Town Hall and its 600-year-old Astronomical Clock, you’ll learn the cruel legend of its blinded creator. From there, I’ll tell you the stories behind Prague’s most famous landmarks, and direct you down charming hidden lanes with mysterious traces of the past. As you wander through the former German Quarter, peeking into the preserved Gothic porticos where craftsmen lived for centuries, you’ll hear how Prague became a cultural crossroad under the patronage of Emperor Charles IV.

Our tour ends at the celebrated Charles Bridge, where I’ll share some of the grand architectural achievements and intimate human stories that have shaped this UNESCO World Heritage city.

On this 75-minute Prague tour, you’ll have a chance to:

Visit Týnský Dvůr Ungelt, a thousand-year-old customs house where merchants from across Europe and the Middle East once stored their exotic goods
Discover the legacy of Jan Hus at Bethlehem Chapel, where revolutionary sermons attracted thousands before he was burned at the stake
Spot the Sigmund Freud sculpture hanging precariously from a rooftop, a playful artwork by contemporary Czech artist David Černý
Walk in the footsteps of astronomers Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler, who made groundbreaking discoveries while working in Prague
See the Estates Theatre, where Mozart premiered his opera Don Giovanni, and learn why he famously declared, “My Prague understands me”
Check out the unusual animal-shaped cornerstones that protected buildings from rushing carriages
Hear the stories behind Prague’s oldest churches, including the Church of Our Lady Before Týn and the Basilica of St James

From religious reformers who changed Europe’s history to world-famous composers who found inspiration among these cobblestones, by the end of this tour, you’ll be alive to Prague’s rich past, spanning over 1,000 years.

Tour Producer

Jana Vesela

7 tours

I am Jana, a passionate traveler and lover of art and history. I have lived in Prague for almost three decades and I work as a language teacher and professional freelance tour guide. My cultural trips to Italy have shaped my interest in architecture and deepened my ability to see Prague's history in a broader European context. Thanks to my passion for languages, I am happy to accompany individual visitors and school groups from all over the world and offer tours on the history, architecture and literature of Prague. I am very interested in Jewish history and I offer tours of the Jewish Quarter of Prague as well.
I have been working with VoiceMap since 2020.
My audiotours reveal different aspects of Prague. I love the idea that, in addition to the usual highlights, visitors can discover lesser-known but charming places and curious legends from the past of this fascinating city, all this in absolute autonomy and at a low-traffic time of day.

Preview Location

Location 2

Astronomical Clock

Find a good spot to stand and view the Astronomical Clock.

Thousands of people come to admire a masterpiece of medieval engineering, one of the oldest working clocks in the world. Built in 1410, it is based on the geocentric theory of the universe - the Earth is in the cent... Find a good spot to stand and view the Astronomical Clock.

Thousands of people come to admire a masterpiece of medieval engineering, one of the oldest working clocks in the world. Built in 1410, it is based on the geocentric theory of the universe - the Earth is in the center while the Sun and the Moon turn around it. You can see it if you look at the upper circle which is the clock itself. Try to spot the gilded Sun. The arm carrying it has a hand at the end, showing the actual hour. You might notice that there are different types of numerals depicted, because in the Middle Ages, more types of time were measured. For us, the Roman numerals are the most important, showing the 24 hours of our day. The lower circle is the calendar of the year, with the signs of the zodiac in the small circles and the twelve months of the year in the big ones. The outer circle shows the individual days of the year. On the stroke of each hour, the two blue windows above open and twelve apostles say hello to the visitors in the square. At the same time, the skeleton on the right side above - the symbol of death, surrounded by figures symbolising the vices - raises the hourglass and rings the bell. The virtues can be seen below, accompanied by an angel. At the end of the little show, the gilded cock above announces the new hour.

For centuries, people have been telling their children a cruel legend about how the jealous citizens of Prague blinded the master of the clock to prevent him from making similar clocks for other cities. In anger, the desperate man stopped the clock and died soon after. For a whole hundred years, the residents tried in vain to get the clock working again, before someone managed to fix it.

So, let's get going.

With the clock on your left, continue into the square. Right in front of you there is a mighty church dominating the square, and a column with the sculpture of Virgin Mary on its top. Go towards it and stop on the left side of the column.

The central square of the Old Town is simply called "The Old Town Square". Since the 10th century when a marketplace was laid out here, it's been the vibrant and lively heart of the city.

Continue towards the column. The next location will play automatically. Read More

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Major Landmarks

Old Town Square
Prague Astronomical Clock
Church of Our Lady before Týn
Basilica of St. James
The House at the Black Madonna
The Estates Theatre
Charles University
Havelské tržiště
The Bethlehem Chapel
Klementinum
Křižovnické náměstí
Charles Bridge
Staroměstská radnice
Krčma U Pavouka
Prašná brána
Celetná
Church of St. Gallen
Karlova
Tyn yard - Ungelt
Kostel svatého Martina ve zdi

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Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
Staroměstské nám. 1/3, Staré Město, 110 00 Praha-Praha 1, Czechia
Total distance

2km
Final location
Karlův most, 110 00 Praha 1, Czechia
Distance back to start location

472.48m

Directions to Starting Point

The tour starts in front of the Old Town Hall, right next to the Astronomical Clock. It is about a 10-minute walk from the nearest metro station - Staroměstská.

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

In the stylish Cubist café Cerna Madona (Celetná 34/569), you can choose from an extensive breakfast menu and a wide range of delicious cakes. And if you feel like stopping for a refreshing glass of draft Pilsner beer along the way, the traditional pub U Dvou Kocek (Uhelný Trh 415) will be the right choice. To chocolate lovers, I recommend taking a break in the Choco Café (Liliová 250/4) and sample the delicious produce of a local chocolate factory along with a cup of great coffee or hot chocolate in a charming setting of a centuries-old house.

Best time of day

Any time of day. In the busy summer season, the best time to take the tour are the morning hours (before 10pm), before the city gets crowded with tourist groups.

Precautions

Be aware of pickpockets in busy places. When crossing the streets, use pedestrian crossings when possible.

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“Great app. walk around at your own pace, stop where you want, move on or speed up when you want. Read the script before you go or during the commentary, speed it up or replay it. Repeat the tour whenever you like.”